Another Valentines Day is on us, and will be enthusiastically observed by those who want against the backdrop of usual noises about it being a “western custom”, “against Indian traditions” and the efforts of the ‘moral’ vigilantes. But the opposition seems perplexing given how avidly we look to love in cinema, celebrity culture, popular literature and poetry – particularly Urdu.

There is a widespread impression that Urdu poetry, especially its most popular form of the ghazal, is overwhelmingly devoted to love. It isn’t fully but a considerable and most well-known part is. For this Valentine’s Day, lets find from its magnificent corpus at some famous and not so-known expressions of love in all its splendour and moods.

Lets begin one of the progenitors of the tradition in the Indian subcontinent – the incomparable Amir Khusro. Though his “Khusro darya prem ki, so ulti baki dhar/Jo ubhra so doob gaya, jo dooba huya paar” is known – and much misused (like in a recent controversial film), a couplet would be from one of his Farsi ghazals would be more apt.

Though inclined towards “ishq-e-haqiqi” (divine or sacred love) as against “ishq-e-majazi” (earthly or profane love), “Khabaram raseed imshab ki nigaar khvahi aamad/Sar-e man fida-e raah-e ki sawaar khvahi aamad (tonight I received news that you, oh beloved, would come/Be my head sacrificed to the road along which you will come)” is an interesting take on love – and the anticipation it entails.

Hari Manchanda ‘Bani’ was a poet cut off in his prime, but not before giving us more precious gems, such as this stratagem of urban love: “Ajeeb tajurba tha bheed se guzarne ka/Use bahaana mila mujh se baat karne ka”.

Ghazal aficionados, especially of Mehdi Hasan, must remember him recite this couplet of the effects of a gaze: “Hua jo teer-e-nazar nimkash to kya haasil/Maza to jab hai ke seene ke aar-paar chale” before one of his famous renditions. Its actually by Kunwar Mahendra Singh Bedi ‘Sahar’ who was otherwise an ICS officer.

And this art is the bedrock of South Asian cinema, which freely depends on its songs from the tradition. Be it Bollywood or Lollywood, its difficult to pick one, but that Sahir Ludhianvi qawwali “Na to Karvan ki talaash hain…” from “Barsat Ki Raat” (1960) is a splendid evocation of the religious basis of love across a wide spectrum of faith.